Manufacturing
Selling a machine shop in Texas
Customer concentration, the age of the machines and the machinists who run them decide what a shop sells for.
A machine shop or tooling company is bought for its capacity and its customers. Strategic buyers want the machines, the certifications, and the approved-supplier status you hold with customers they could not easily win themselves.
We sold a Texas sheet metal, tooling and machining manufacturer in January 2026, and took it to market with its own film. What a buyer asks about is customers, machines and people — in that order.
Machine shops and tooling companies, at a glance
- Transactions we have published1
- Most recent closingJanuary 2026
- Companies we sell$3M–$100M
- Typical sale3–9 months
- Fee if we do not closeNone
What decides the price
What buyers examine in a machine shop
| Factor | What a buyer does with it |
|---|---|
| Customer concentration | The most common discount in this sector. If one customer is a large share of revenue, buyers price the risk of losing it; long relationships and supply agreements reduce that. |
| Machines and their age | A buyer goes through the equipment list and prices the capital spending of the next three years. Well-maintained machines with service records hold value. |
| Certifications and approvals | ISO 9001, AS9100, ITAR registration and approved-supplier status take years to earn. They are often the reason a strategic buyer is interested at all. |
| Backlog and long-term agreements | Open orders and blanket agreements are evidence that next year's earnings are real. |
| Machinists and programmers | Skilled people are harder to find than machines. Tenure, cross-training and who programs the jobs all matter. |
| Quoting and scheduling | If quoting lives in your head, the buyer is buying you. A documented process and a second person who can quote raise the price. |
Proof
Machine shops and tooling companies we have sold
Published because their owners agreed to it, with the month each one closed.
Who buys
The three kinds of buyer for a machine shop
Strategic manufacturers
Larger machining and fabrication companies buying capacity, customers or a capability they lack.
Private equity platforms
Groups building precision manufacturing companies, looking for clean financials and a management team that stays.
Individual buyers
Engineers and operators buying a shop to run, usually with SBA financing, at the smaller end of the range.
Before you go to market
Four things that raise the price, and cost nothing
If a sale is a year or more away, this is the work that pays. It is also the first thing a buyer's accountant will ask for. Pre-exit consulting is how we help owners do it.
- Produce revenue by customer for the last three years.
- Build an equipment list with age, condition and service history.
- Keep certifications and customer approvals current.
- Decide whether the building is sold with the company or leased back.
Straight answers
What owners of machine shops and tooling companies ask before they sell
Questions about selling a machine shop
What is a machine shop in Texas worth?
It follows adjusted earnings, then moves with customer concentration, the condition of the equipment and the strength of the team. For companies with $3 million to $100 million in revenue, offers most often fall between three and seven times adjusted EBITDA. A shop with diversified customers, current certifications and machinists who stay sits higher in that range. A confidential opinion of value is free.
Should I sell the building with the business?
It can go either way. Selling the operating company and leasing the building back is usually cleaner and keeps more buyers interested. Selling both together can raise the total, and we have closed a manufacturing sale where the business and its real estate closed on the same day.
Will my employees or customers find out?
Not from us. Your company goes to market as a blind profile, with no name and nothing that identifies it. A buyer signs a confidentiality agreement and proves they can fund the purchase before they learn who you are.
How long does a sale take?
Typically three to nine months from engagement to funds wired. How profitable the business is, how well the records hold up and how many buyers are at the table decide where you land.
Your company
Talk to an advisor about your machine shop
Four fields and a reply the same business day. Nothing you send is shared with anyone. If you would rather talk, call (855) 637-2776.
- A value range and what is driving it
- What a buyer would examine first in your company
- No fee unless and until your company sells